31st Flying Training Wing (World War II)

The 31st Flying Training Wing was a training formation of the U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) during World War II.

The wing's mission was to train personnel of the U.S. Army Air Forces Training Command. Headquartered at Enid Field, Oklahoma, for most of its operational service, it controlled contract pilot schools primarily in the Central United States. There is no lineal connection to the 31st Fighter Wing.

History
Until 1939, the U.S. Army Air Corps provided all flying training with military instructor pilots. Beginning in 1939, it contracted with nine civilian flying schools to provide primary flight training. Primary training consisted of a three-month course of 65 hours of flying instruction. As the United States prepared to enter World War II by expanding its number of flying squadrons, the number of contract primary schools increased.

According to the contract, the government supplied students with training aircraft, flying clothes, textbooks, and equipment. The Air Corps also put a detachment at each school to supervise training. The schools furnished instructors, training sites and facilities, aircraft maintenance, quarters, and mess halls. From the Air Corps, schools received a flat fee of $1,170 for each graduate and $18 per flying hour for students eliminated from training. The Primary Pilot Training used Boeing PT-17 or Fairchild PT-19 two-seater single-engine training aircraft. Also, the wing controlled specialized schools for Liaison Pilots using the Stinson L-5 Sentinel, and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) primary training was conducted exclusively at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas.

Following the fall of France in 1940, the Air Corps upped its pilot production goal to 7,000 per year. To meet that goal, the Air Corps increased the capacity of its schools and added more contract primary schools. The vast majority of contract primary pilot training ended in the spring of 1944 as part of the rundown of Army pilot training. The ones remaining open ended their operations in October 1945.

Lineage

 * Established as 31st Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942
 * Activated on 16 January 1943
 * Disbanded on 30 December 1945

Assignments

 * Army Air Forces Gulf Coast Training (later, AAF Central Flying Training) Command, 16 January 1943 – 30 December 1945

Stations

 * Chickasha, Oklahoma, trained 8,000 troops at the Wilson and Bonfis Flying School that opened in October 1941, after the war it became Chickasha Municipal Airport.
 * Enid Field, Oklahoma, 16 January 1943
 * Fort Worth Field, Texas, 31–30 May 30 December 1945

Training aircraft
CPS Primary Trainers were primarily PT-17 Stearman biplanes and Fairchild PT-19s monoplanes, although a wide variety of other types could be found at the airfields. The Fairchild PT-19 aircraft also could have the student pilot covered with a hood for "Blind" instrument flying training.

Glider pilot schools used Aeronca TG-5As, Taylorcraft TG-6As, and Piper TG-8As unpowered glider conversions of powered light observation aircraft which had similar characteristics to the military gliders under development.

Contract Pilot Schools

 * Arledge Field, Stamford, Texas
 * 308th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Stamford Flying School and Lou Foote Flying Service and Coleman Flying School
 * Opened: August 1941, Closed: August 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)
 * Controlled four auxiliary airfields


 * Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas
 * 319th Flying Training Detachment
 * 2563d Army Air Forces Base Unit (Women Air Service Pilots), April 1944
 * Operated by: Aviation Enterprises. Conducted Primary, Basic and Advanced (WASP) training
 * Opened: May 1942, Closed: December 1945 (PT-17, PT-19)
 * Controlled five auxiliary airfields


 * Bruce Field, Ballinger, Texas
 * 306th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Fred Harmon Flying School
 * Opened: October 1941, Closed: October 1944 (PT-19)
 * Controlled five auxiliary airfields


 * Chickasha Municipal Airport, Chickasha, Oklahoma
 * 316th Flying Training Detachment
 * 2549th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Contract Pilot School, Primary), April 1944
 * Operated by: Wilson-Bonfils Flying School
 * Opened: October 1941, Closed: August 1945 (PT-17, PT-19)
 * Controlled four auxiliary airfields


 * Cimarron Field, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
 * 310th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Oklahoma Air College
 * Opened: October 1941, Closed: May 1944 (PT-19)
 * Controlled three auxiliary airfields


 * South Coleman Airport, Coleman, Texas
 * 304th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Coleman FLying School, Limited
 * Opened: July 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-19)
 * Controlled four auxiliary airfields


 * Corsicana Field, Corsicana, Texas
 * 301st Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Air Activities of Texas
 * Opened: April 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-19)
 * Controlled six auxiliary airfields


 * Cuero Municipal Airport, Cuero, Texas
 * 303d Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Brayton Flying Services, Inc.
 * Opened: May 1941, Closed: August 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)
 * Controlled four auxiliary airfields


 * Gibbs Field, Fort Stockton, Texas
 * 313th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Pacific Air School Limited
 * Opened: June 1942, Closed: April 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)
 * Controlled two auxiliary airfields


 * Garner Field, Uvalde, Texas
 * 305th Flying Training Detachment
 * 2566th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Contract Pilot School, Primary), April 1944
 * Operated by: Hangar Six, Incorporated
 * Opened: October 1941, Closed: July 1945 (PT-13, PT-19)
 * Controlled four auxiliary airfields


 * Grider Field, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
 * 312th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Pine Bluff School of Aviation
 * Opened: April 1941, Closed: October 1944 (PT-19)
 * Controlled five auxiliary airfields


 * Harvey Parks Airport, Sikeston, Missouri
 * 311th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Missouri Institute of Aeronautics
 * Opened: January 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-18, PT-19)
 * Controlled seven auxiliary airfields


 * Hatbox Field, Muskogee, Oklahoma
 * 315th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by Spartan Aircraft Company and Spartan School of Aeronautics
 * Opened: January 1941, Closed: June 1944 (PT-19)
 * Controlled three auxiliary airfields


 * Hicks Field, Fort Worth, Texas
 * 307th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Texas Aviation School and W. F. Long Flying School.
 * Opened: September 1941, Closed: May 1944 (PT-19)
 * Controlled three auxiliary airfields


 * Jones Field, Bonham, Texas
 * 302d Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Bonham Aviation School
 * Opened: September 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-19)
 * Controlled four auxiliary airfields


 * Miami Municipal Airport, Miami, Oklahoma
 * 322d Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Spartan School of Aeronautics
 * Opened: June 1941, Closed: March 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)
 * Controlled four auxiliary airfields


 * Mustang Field, El Reno, Oklahoma
 * 320th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Midwest Air School
 * Opened: February 1943, Closed: November 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)
 * Controlled four auxiliary airfields


 * Parks Metropolitan Airport, East St. Louis, Illinois
 * 309th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Parks Air College
 * Opened: June 1939, Closed: August 1943 (PT-13, PT-17, PT-19)
 * Controlled one auxiliary airfield


 * Ponca City Municipal Airport, Ponca City, Oklahoma
 * 323d Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Darr School of Aeronautics
 * Opened: June 1941, Closed: May 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)


 * Tulsa Municipal Airport, Tulsa, Oklahoma
 * 314th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Spartan School of Aeronautics
 * Opened: June 1939, Closed: August 1944 (PT-3A, PT-17, PT-19)
 * Controlled five auxiliary airfields


 * Victory Field, Vernon, Texas
 * 317th Flying Training Detachment
 * Operated by: Hunter Flying Service and Richey Flying Service.
 * Opened: December 1941, Closed: August 1944 (PT-19)
 * Controlled five auxiliary airfields

Contract Glider Pilot Schools

 * Aberdeen Regional Airport, Aberdeen, South Dakota
 * 26th Glider Training Detachment
 * Basic Glider Training School (TG-8A)
 * Operated by: Anderson & Brennan Flying Service


 * Eberts Field, Lohoke, Arkansas
 * 15th Glider Training Detachment
 * Pre-Glider/Primary Training School (TG-8A)
 * Operated by: Kenneth Starnes Flying Service


 * Renner Field, Goodland, Kansas
 * 22d Glider Training Detachment
 * Pre-Glider/Primary Training School (TG-8A)
 * Operated by: William A. Ong


 * Hale County Airport, Plainview, Texas
 * 4th Glider Training Detachment
 * Basic Glider Training School (TG-4A, TG-5, TG-8A)
 * Operated by: Clint Breedlove Aerial Service


 * Hartlee Field Airport, Denton, Texas
 * 17th Glider Training Detachment
 * Basic Glider Training School (TG-4A, TG-5, TG-8A)
 * Operated by: Harte Flying Service


 * Hays Airport, Hays, Kansas
 * 19th Glider Training Detachment
 * Pre-Glider/Primary Training School (TG-8A)
 * Operated by: Morey Airplane Company


 * Janesville Field, Janesville, Wisconsin
 * 16th Glider Training Detachment
 * Basic Glider Training School (TG-4A, TG-5, TG-8A)
 * Operated by: Bonham Aviation School


 * Okmulgee Municipal Airport, Okmulgee, Oklahoma
 * 25th Glider Training Detachment
 * Pre-Glider/Primary Training School
 * Operated by: Sooner Air Training Corp.


 * Pittsburg Airport, Pittsburg, Kansas
 * 21st Glider Training Detachment
 * Pre-Glider Training School (TG-8A)
 * Operated by: McFarland Flying Service


 * Spencer Municipal Airport, Spencer, Iowa
 * 23d Glider Training Detachment
 * Pre-Glider/Primary Training School (TG-8A)
 * Operated by: Hunter Flying Service
 * Hunter Flying Service moved from Spencer, Iowa, to Hamilton Airport at Hamilton, Texas, on 20 October 1942.


 * Theldor Airfield, Vinita, Oklahoma
 * 27th Glider Training Detachment
 * Pre-Glider/Primary Training School (TG-8A)
 * Operated by: Burke Aviation Service

List of wing commanders

 * BG Warren R. Carter, 16 January 1943
 * BG T.W. Blackburn, 26 April 1943
 * Col Henry W. Door, 10 April 1944
 * BG Aubry Hornsby, 22 May 1944
 * Col James F. Powell, 15 June 1944
 * Col Walter S. Lee, 31 July 1944
 * BG Charles T. Myers, c. Nov 1944 (Additional Duty)
 * Col Walter S. Lee, 16 December 1944
 * BG John F. Egan, 4 January 1945
 * Col Hilbert M. Wittkop, 23 Apr–31 Oct 1945
 * Unknown through 30 December 1945.